Virtual Tourism in Israel

One visitor finds an innovative way to express unconditional caring and support for beleaguered Israelis.

Sitting with a friend in a once popular restaurant in Ein Kerem, a neighborhood in Jerusalem, I was startled to see how empty it was. A young guard sat at the front gate. Next to him, a note was posted stating that all customers were to pay an extra two shekels to help cover his cost.

After getting the bill, I asked to speak to the manager. I told him, while the waiter hovered in the background worried about a complaint, that I would be paying three times the amount of the bill. I explained that as a visitor coming to visit family and friends during these terrible times, I had brought "virtual tourists” with me.

I told the manager that I would be paying three times the amount of the bill.

Most of the members of my small Jewish community in Victoria, on the far west coast of Canada, were heartfelt in their support of Israelis. However, the realities of their lives prevented them from coming personally. So they had sent me with money ($1,700) to spend on virtual drinks, meals, services and gifts. They particularly asked me to support small businesses suffering from serious economic losses due to direct and threatened terrorist attacks and lack of tourism.

The manager and now-smiling waiter were clearly surprised and very moved. "We in Israel feel that we are all alone in the world," he said. “But this is amazing that there are others so far away who actually care about us here."

I laughed and said: "Actually they are virtually here, having virtual meals. But their money is real."

Over the next few minutes, another waiter and two waitresses came to the table to thank me and to hear the story of "virtual tourists" for themselves. The manager asked for my name and presented me a Hebrew book on the history of Ein Kerem, inscribed by the staff with a warm note of appreciation for bringing a smile to their day.

My friend, who was moved to tears, commented on how wonderful to bring a moment of joy to such young people.

FUNERAL FOR A STORE

This idea of "virtual tourism" had been picked up by our rabbi, Harry Bremmer, and passed along in our synagogue and by email a few days before I was to leave for Israel. During final preparations for my trip, I was constantly interrupted by calls and visitors, dropping off checks and cash. Needing to get some sleep before my departure, I finally had to ask the late callers to pass along their donations to the next community members to go.

Throughout my two-week stay, I repeated my "virtual tourist" explanation, often twice to the same stunned owner or manager of small businesses, cafes, restaurants, hairdressers, flower stores and gift shops.

One small gift shop on Yoel Solomon, at the bottom of the Ben Yehudah Mall, remarked on the sweetness of this idea. She went on to tell me of one shop owner down the street who had a funeral for his closing business. He dressed in black and invited his friends and the press for a funeral -- an amazing display of humor and sadness.

Half of the 500 tourist shops in Jerusalem have shut down since the increase in violence; 75 per cent of hotel beds are empty. In the central area of the city, 40 restaurants have closed.

NEGOTIATING THE PRICE

I found my own voice breaking with feeling as I repeated the story over again. One small pizza place on Emek Refaim had just reopened that morning after a dreadful bombing of a cafe just up the street. After explaining "virtual tourism" to him and giving him 100 shekels (four times the bill of 25 shekels), he suggested that 50 shekels would be enough. I insisted, and he then tried to negotiate a compromise of 75 shekels. I insisted that I was obliged to give him the full 100 shekels for the other six "virtual tourists" with me.

He said what a good luck sign it was, on this first day of reopening. We laughed together about the irony of someone negotiating to be paid less.

On the occasion of each small purchase, my friends joined in this delightful experience, which became a bond between us, the owners and my small community in Victoria, which grew less distant from us each day.

Some managers complained they had no key on the cash register for donations.

Some managers demanded I tell them what to do with the extra money, remarking they had no key on the cash register for such an item. I told them I had fulfilled my responsibility, and that this would be their big problem for the day. Many said they would share it with their staff. Some quickly said they would pass it along to someone "who really needs it.”

The last of the funds was spent on 15 pitas (with the Jerusalem mixture of spicy meats) for the IDF's negotiating team dealing with the standoff at the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity. One of my friends was on his way for reserve duty with this group.

FOOTPRINTS ON THE SHORE

As this small idea moved into action, from my community, through me, to Israeli small business people and friends, I became aware of it rippling out in circles beyond our knowing. One friend's son told of it in his citizenship class. Visiting relatives of another couple passed it by email to their home community in America. No doubt, others would be passing it along over dinner and in phone conversations.

When asked why he thought this small act was met with such emotion, one Israeli said because it is so unexpected and completely unconditional, something for nothing, an expression of our being together.

Early in this process, I realized I had not only given, but was also being given a truly uplifting gift. My fervent hope is that others going to Israel will take along their own "virtual tourists" who will leave their footprints on the shores of the turbulent sea of our homeland.

And just as our footprints are being washed away by the tides, more will be made, and Israelis will know that they are not alone. For we are with them.

Visitor Comments: 7

(7)
Anonymous,
February 4, 2003 12:00 AM

Very moving. A beautiful idea. May it spread.

(6)
Jenny Adams,
January 31, 2003 12:00 AM

Virtual empathy

This article reminded me of an incident last summer in a small grocery shop in Josef Haglili street in Ramat Gan. My son and I went in to buy Ice cream and the owner asked where we were from. I said, "we're tourists from Malta". "Tourists?" he asked in surprise, "how come? Do you have family here in Israel?" I told him that we were not Jewish and had no family there but that we had many dear friends who treated us like family. I explained that the only way we could help was to tell people in Malta about the positive aspects of Israel and Israelis and to spend our holiday money in Israel.
We talked about the upcoming football match between Israel and Malta and joked about my terrible accent when I try to say something in Hebrew.
He absolutely refused to take money for the ice cream and said "please keep coming back to Israel, we desperately need tourists."

It breaks my heart to see Israel struggle, and your article about virtual tourism really touched me. I will take it up next time I'm in Israel.

(5)
Daphne Williams,
January 14, 2003 12:00 AM

An amazing idea!

I plan on visiting Israel in the spring/summer of this year, and plan on carrying on your 'virtual tourist' idea. I have already suggested to the church I used to attend (and will present the idea to my new church) that donations be received to carry out this gift to the people of Israel. Thank you so much for an answer to prayer on how others can help Israel through these difficult times. Shalom!

(4)
Yehudah Younessian,
January 8, 2003 12:00 AM

Great idea!

I think this should be a mandatory thing for rabbi's to pitch whenever they have a group going to Israel from their community. I will see to it that mine does, and so should you.

(3)
Sharon Kelso,
December 10, 2002 12:00 AM

I thought the "idea" was terrific

Shalom I really thought the the whole concept is just great, wonderful,terrific, and any other surperlatives that I can think of

(2)
Debra Monasch,
December 9, 2002 12:00 AM

Virtually Fantastic

What a magnificent idea! I will pass this along to my rabbi and other congregations and hope this "trend" will spread. What a fantastic way to "visit" Israel and support the devastated economy. Bravo!!!

(1)
Jeanne Martin,
December 9, 2002 12:00 AM

An Awesome Idea!

This really touched my heart!I am a christian and have been trying to get to Israel for years,something always comes up. It's either the lack of funds or illness in my family.God has given me such a love for Israel and Her people and I am praying now for God to show me how to help with my finances. This was an awesome idea!

I'm told that it's a mitzvah to become intoxicated on Purim. This puzzles me, because to my understanding, it is not considered a good thing to become intoxicated, period.

One of the characteristics of the at-risk youth is their use of drugs, including alcohol. In my experience, getting drunk doesn't reveal secrets. It makes people act stupid and irresponsible, doing things they would never do if they were sober. Also, I know a lot about the horrible health effects of abusing alcohol, because I work at a research center that focuses on addiction and substance abuse.

Also, I am an alcoholic, which means that if I drink, very bad things happen. I have not had a drink in 22 years, and I have no intention of starting now. Surely there must be instances where a person is excused from the obligation to drink. I don't see how Judaism could ever promote the idea of getting drunk. It just doesn't seem right.

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Putting aside for a moment all the spiritual and philosophical reasons for getting drunk on Purim, this remains an issue of common sense. Of course, teenagers should be warned of the dangers of acute alcohol ingestion. Of course, nobody should drink and drive. Of course, nobody should become so drunk to the point of negligence in performing mitzvot. And of course, a recovering alcoholic should not partake of alcohol on Purim.

Indeed, the Code of Jewish Law explicitly says that if one suspects the drinking may affect him negatively, then he should NOT drink.

Getting drunk on Purim is actually one of the most difficult mitzvot to do correctly. A person should only drink if it will lead to positive spiritual results - e.g. under the loosening affect of the alcohol, greater awareness will surface of the love for God and Torah found deep in the heart. (Perhaps if we were on a higher spiritual level, we wouldn't need to get drunk!)

Yet the Talmud still speaks of an obligation on Purim of "not knowing the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman." How then should a person who doesn't drink get the point of “not knowing”? Simple - just go to sleep! (Rama - OC 695:2)

All this applies to individuals. But the question remains - does drinking on Purim adversely affect the collective social health of the Jewish community?

The aversion to alcoholism is engrained into Jewish consciousness from a number of Biblical and Talmudic sources. There are the rebuking words of prophets - Isaiah 28:1, Hosea 3:1 with Rashi, and Amos 6:6, and the Zohar says that "The wicked stray after wine" (Midrash Ne'alam Parshat Vayera).

It is well known that the rate of alcoholism among Jews has historically been very low. Numerous medical, psychological and sociological studies have confirmed this. The connection between Judaism and sobriety is so evident, that the following conversation is reported by Lawrence Kelemen in "Permission to Receive":

When Dr. Mark Keller, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, commented that "practically all Jews do drink, and yet all the world knows that Jews hardly ever become alcoholics," his colleague, Dr. Howard Haggard, director of Yale's Laboratory of Applied Physiology, jokingly proposed converting alcoholics to the Jewish religion in order to immerse them in a culture with healthy attitudes toward drinking!

Perhaps we could suggest that it is precisely because of the use of alcohol in traditional ceremonies (Kiddush, Bris, Purim, etc.), that Jews experience such low rates of alcoholism. This ceremonial usage may actually act like an inoculation - i.e. injecting a safe amount that keeps the disease away.

Of course, as we said earlier, all this needs to be monitored with good common sense. Yet in my personal experience - having been in the company of Torah scholars who were totally drunk on Purim - they acted with extreme gentleness and joy. Amid the Jewish songs and beautiful words of Torah, every year the event is, for me, very special.

Adar 12 marks the dedication of Herod's renovations on the second Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 11 BCE. Herod was king of Judea in the first century BCE who constructed grand projects like the fortresses at Masada and Herodium, the city of Caesarea, and fortifications around the old city of Jerusalem. The most ambitious of Herod's projects was the re-building of the Temple, which was in disrepair after standing over 300 years. Herod's renovations included a huge man-made platform that remains today the largest man-made platform in the world. It took 10,000 men 10 years just to build the retaining walls around the Temple Mount; the Western Wall that we know today is part of that retaining wall. The Temple itself was a phenomenal site, covered in gold and marble. As the Talmud says, "He who has not seen Herod's building, has never in his life seen a truly grand building."

Some people gauge the value of themselves by what they own. But in reality, the entire concept of ownership of possessions is based on an illusion. When you obtain a material object, it does not become part of you. Ownership is merely your right to use specific objects whenever you wish.

How unfortunate is the person who has an ambition to cleave to something impossible to cleave to! Such a person will not obtain what he desires and will experience suffering.

Fortunate is the person whose ambition it is to acquire personal growth that is independent of external factors. Such a person will lead a happy and rewarding life.

With exercising patience you could have saved yourself 400 zuzim (Berachos 20a).

This Talmudic proverb arose from a case where someone was fined 400 zuzim because he acted in undue haste and insulted some one.

I was once pulling into a parking lot. Since I was a bit late for an important appointment, I was terribly annoyed that the lead car in the procession was creeping at a snail's pace. The driver immediately in front of me was showing his impatience by sounding his horn. In my aggravation, I wanted to join him, but I saw no real purpose in adding to the cacophony.

When the lead driver finally pulled into a parking space, I saw a wheelchair symbol on his rear license plate. He was handicapped and was obviously in need of the nearest parking space. I felt bad that I had harbored such hostile feelings about him, but was gratified that I had not sounded my horn, because then I would really have felt guilty for my lack of consideration.

This incident has helped me to delay my reactions to other frustrating situations until I have more time to evaluate all the circumstances. My motives do not stem from lofty principles, but from my desire to avoid having to feel guilt and remorse for having been foolish or inconsiderate.

Today I shall...

try to withhold impulsive reaction, bearing in mind that a hasty act performed without full knowledge of all the circumstances may cause me much distress.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...